OFFICERS IN FORCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23599, 7 March 1940, Page 11

OFFICERS IN FORCE

METHOD OF SELECTION DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLE VARIETY OF PROFESSIONS [by TULEGKAI'TI —OWN COIUUvSPONDKNT. ] WELLINGTON. Wednesday If the varying professions and trades of those men in the advanced training company at the Army School of Instruction, Trentham, are any guide, the New Zealand Army is leading the world in the practical demonstration of the democratic principle in selecting officers. There arc 130 men in this company chosen by commanding officers from all units purely on a basis of their personality and knowledge, general and military. Looking through a list of their occupations there are found journalists, clerks, mechanics, watersiders, stock agents, artists, mining engineers, travellers, importers, company managers, bank officers, civil servants, papermakers, printers, solicitors, accountants, chcescmakers, architects, teachers,'farmers, linesmen, a bachelor of engineering, and a member of Parliament. The aim in picking these men is to give everyone who joins tip a chance on his merits.

There are All Blacks among them, Bullock-Douglas and Pepper, V. P. Boot, a champion athlete, Bainbridge, and many others who have been prominent in all branches of sport. The member of Parliament is A. G. Hultquist, Bay bf Plenty. Not all of these 136 men may qualify, for just as the equal opportunity principle is practised in selecting them to train, so also is that of not commissioning any man, whoever he may be in civil life, who does not make the grade in leadership and the general qualities essential in a man whom others will have to trust and folloAv. Those who do not get through will return to their units as N.C.O.'s, some possibly as privates.

DOMINION CRICKET CAPTAIN MOLONEY VOLUNTEERS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] DUKE DIN, Wednesday The name of 1). A. It. Moloney, Ota go and New Zealand cricket captain, appears in to-day's list of volunteers.

A former Wellington representative Moloney has played for Otago for the past two seasons and has captained the provincial side in Plunket Shield matches. He was selected as New Zealand captain in the test match against Sir Julien Calm's team at Wellington last season. Moloney toured England with the New Zealand team in 1937 and had good performances in first-class matches. He scored 1463 runs and took 57 wickets.

CHRISTMAS AT SEA MEN OF ADVANCE GUARD Although the New Zealand soldiers who left for Egypt toward the end of last year as the advance guard of the main body were despatched at somewhat short notice, they were not overlooked in the matter of Christmas gifts. Appreciation of the action of the Australian Comforts Fund authorities m including the New Zealanders in the distribution of gifts is expressed by Sergeant R. W. Hicks, New Zealand Engineers, in a letter to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. Hicks, of Avondale, written at sea.

"We had a good Christmas one way and another," wrote Sergeant Hicks. "We had Christinas dinner at night and the P. and O. Company gave us each a Christmas card. The Australian Comforts Fund (Victorian Division) gave all the New Zealand soldiers os each by means of a Christmas card which we cashed on the ship. The Australian troops also got from this fund a small Christmas hamper. Our own Patriotic Society has issued us several packets of cigarettes, a tin of tobacco, a couple of cakes of chocolate and two writing pads with envelopes."